Adapter



P. CROSLEY, JR

May 3, 1927. 1,627,077

ADAPTER Filed Oct. 9, 1922 suiv/H 7 L Invent/o 7- Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,621,077 PATENT OFFICE.

POWEL CBOSLEY, lJB., 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ADAPTER.

Application nica come: s, im. semi m. 59am.

My invention relatesA to electrical conductors, and more especially to socket adapters; its object being, as herein exemplified, to permit the use of a certain audion or vacuum-tube detector or amplifier, in a rece tacle or socket made for a different kin of device of that character, in radio installations. A further object is to provide an extremely sim le and inexpensive, yet reliable device o this character, proof against wrong connection of the instrument connected by it, and easy to insert or remove from the apparatus. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawing, in which-#- y Figure 1 is a artial side elevation of an ada ter embodying my invention, with one 0f tlie vacuum tubes mounted therein, and the adapter mounted in one of the sockets, this socket'being in front-torear cross-section on a vertical plane through the center thereof, and onl part of the vacuum tube being shown, or lack of space;

with the adapter therein;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the adapter re.

moved from the socket; Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the adapter; Fig. 5 is a' vertical cross-section on the planes of the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 6 is a similar 'section on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the bushings;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the adapter body without the contact elements mounted thereon better showing the arrangement and form o the openings therein; Y

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the protruding contact elements;

Fig. 10 is a similar view of one of the yielding contact elements; p

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the connector; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view ofthe base of the vacuum tube.

The body 1 is cylindrical, and preferably Iliade of insulating material throughout such as hard rubber, fiber or composition of other fsuitable kind. It has, at one side, near its top,-

others begin to enter theirs.

pel insertion of the adapter into the socket in correct relation thereto to make the correct electrical connections as will be described.

The .particular socket herein disclosed is full disclosed and claimed in my co-pending app ication, Serial No. 520,644, filed December 7, 1921.

The vacuum-tube or audion 5 is one recently introduced on the. market by a well known manufacturer, and has, instead of the four contact elements .in a single plane, as found i'n many other devices of this character, which would contact with the four similarly arranged contact blades 6 of the above socket, three protruding contact elements 7 longer and thicker than e first three. Also, these contact elements are not arranged in i the same order, with respect to the plate and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the socket* grid and the two filament ends of the audion tube, as in the other tubes for which the disclosed socket primari] is designed. These protruding contact e ements 7 and 8 are designed to enter apertures of corresponding width andrelative location, in a socket desi ed for these tubes; and the difference in thickness of the one element 8 from the others compels the correct application of the tube to its socket. Its greater length' also contributes to this, as well as facilitates the application, since this longer element can be partly inserted in its aperture before the Friction between these protruding contact elements and suitable resilient contact elements in the socket designed for them, serves to hold the tube in the socket or mounting; and it has and a fourth protrudin contact element 8, .I

cylindrical, these apertures 9 and 10 are cylindrical also, and of diameter to receive t e elements 7 and 8, respectively,.easily but snugly, with -the bottom of the tube base 11 resting snugly on the top of the adapter bodv 1, and the elements] and 8extending only part wa lengthwise throu 'h the body 1, as seen' in ig. 1. The centra recess 12 in .the top of the body 1 receives a central projection 12 which the tube base 11 has.

The contact blades 6 ofthe socket 3. are flat strips secured in transverse recesses 13 in the bottom of the socket base, by small bolts 14 which serve. as the terminals of this socket as fully set forth in the aforementioned copending application; These blades 6 bend slightly upward in their extension 1n toward the front-to-rear center line of the socket or receptacle 3, where their i nner ends are materially separated, as seen .in Fig. 2, and yield down, with resilience, to contact elements of a device mounted in the socket, such as ,the tubes for which the socket is especially designed.

To make contact with these blades 6, my adapter has the four protruding contact elements 15 on its bottom, offset from the apertures 9 and l0 thereof in such degree as is necessary for" them to have the symmetrical arrangement of the socket blades 6 While the apertures have the asymmetrical arrangement called for by the mentioned audion tube.

The body l being of a non-metallic lmaterial, it has sockets formed in it at the locations for the elements 15, in which sockets are embedded small metallic bushings 16 (Fig. 7) lwhich may be forced( in, or mayy be molded in place if the body 1 is molded.

r To insure their maintenance in these sockets,

the bushings 16 preferably are knurled or otherwise roughened on their sides, as shown. Each bushing is tapped interiorly; and each protruding contact element 15 has a reduced art or shank 15 threaded into a respective bushing, with a shoulder 17 at the end of the threaded reduced part or shank 15 Where it joins the unreduced part, which preferablyis cylindrical.

On account of the different relative arrangement of the connections in this audion tube, the connections can not be made in regular order, as before alluded to.

To provide the correct modified order of arrangement, a fifth bushinfr 1G exactly like the bushings 16 just described, is set into a socket in the bottom of the body lin the same way that the others are; being located radially inward, near the center of the body bottom, next to one of the smaller apertures 9 which is next in order to the odd large aperture 10. s, c

Each aperture 9 and 10 has along one side, from the bottom of the body, not quite up to the top of the body, a channel 18 or 19, respectively, flat sided, and, with the exception of the channel 18 of the smaller aperture 9 with which` the fifth bushing 16 is provided, these channels are located over next. xto a corresponding adjacent bushing 16 in These channels afor spaces for the yielding contact elements 20, which are all alike; the channels 18 and 19 all bein the same width, which, preferably is the iameter of the smaller apertures. The channel f19 of thelarge aperture 10 thus is narrower than the aperture, as seen, which is immaterial to the correct working of the device. Each element 2O is a thin flat metal stri bent with a foot or extension 21, the main lbnger art having a compound curve in its upper alf so that it presents a convexity 22 to lie in against the fiat bottom of the respective channel, and an intermediate convexity 23 in the other direction, to extend out into the respective aperture until the contact element or prong of the audion tube is inserted, whereupon it yields back into the channel, but presses firmly out against the prong. From this intermediate convexity down to the junction with the foot 21, the element is substantially straight; and when pressed back as just mentioned, this straight lower part will lie firmly against the side of the audion tube prong 7 or 8, making efficient electrical contact.

On account of the asymmetrical arrangement of the apertures and the symmetrical arrangement of the bushings and protruding contact elements at the bottoni of the adapter, it willbe seen that some of these are farther apart than others. So that the yielding elements may be all alike, yet provide for this, the feet 21 have elongated slots 2l l(Fig. l0) receiving the Shanks 15 of the protrudin elements-15, lwhich thus extend through tese feet into the respective bushings 16, with the shoulders 17 clamping the feet 21 in firm electrical connection directly with three of these elements 15. The fourth -protrudingelement 15 is connected, across the body bottom,` with the foot 21 of the fourth yielding element 20, by a connector 24, a flat thin metal strip with` holes near opposite ends (Fig. 11) one of which receives the shank 15 of the element 15, and the other 'receiving a small screw 25 through it and the slot of the foot 2l, clamping these together by screwing into the fifth bushing 16 the connector 24 lying outside the foot 21 and having a slight bend to go behind the shoulder of the contact element 15 at the other end.

The protruding contact elements 15 are made long enough to space the bottom of the adapter body amply far up from the socket or receptacle blades 6, so that there is no chance of contact of these with any intermediate conducting parts, as the connector llU lla-

ricamo?? 'coming prong ends cannot engage with the ends of these elements and bend or disrupt them. Thus the only exposed parts, such as the protruding elements 15 at the bottom, and the lateral engaging pin 2, are rigid and substantial; and the entire device presents, exteriorly, a simple and neat appearance and involves, `at no place, any great complication.

Havin fully described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an adapter, -a body having apertures from end to end, each with a channel along one side, yielding contact elements 1n the respective channels, insulated from each other and lying partly in the respective apertures to be forced therefrom by the prongs of an electrical instrument inserted into the respective apertures, and protruding contact elements on one end of said body oii'set from the apertures, insulated from eac other, and electrically connected to the respective yielding contact elements.

2. In an adapter, a body having apertures from end to end, each with a channel along one side opening through one end of said body but not through the other end thereof, yieldin contact elements in the respective channe s, insulated from each other and lying partly in the respective apertures to be forced therefrom by the prongs of an electrical instrument inserted into the respective apertures from said other end, and protruding contact elements on the one end of said body, offset from they apertures and insulatedV from each other, each yielding contact element having an extension from the open end of the respective channel, electrically connected to a respective protruding contact element.

3. In an adapter, a body having apertures from end to end, each with a channel along one side opening through one end of sai body but not through the other end thereof, yieldin contact elements in the respective channe s insulated from each other and l ing partly in the respective apertures to forced therefrom by the rongs of an electrical instrument inserted intothe respective apertures from said other end, rotruding contact elements on the one end o said body, offset from the apertures and insulated from each other, each yielding contact element having an extension from the o n endof the respective channel, one of said rotrud-' ing contact elements being remote rom its respective aperture and yieldin contact element, and a connector electrical y connecting the extension of this yieldingy contact element to this remote protruding. contact element across the surface of said one end of said body, the extensions of the other yielding contact elements being electrically connected to their respective protruding contact elements.

4. In an adapter, a body of insulating material having apertures from end to end, each with a chanel along one side opening through -one end of said body but not throu h the other end thereof, yieldin contact e ements in the respective channe s, l ing partly in the respective apertures to ge forced therefrom by the prongs of an electrical instrument inserted into the respective apertures from said other end, bushings embedded in said one end of said body), offset from the apertures, an additional ushing 'embedded in said one end of said body, near one of the apertures, each yielding contact element having an extension from the opeii end of the respective channel, the extension from the channel of the one a rture electrically contacting with said ad itionalbushing, and the extensions of the other .yieldin contact elements electrically contacting wi respective adjacent bushinvs, protruding contact members in these adjacent bushings, clamping the extensions to the bushings, a connector extending directly from the Yadditional bushing, across the surface of said one end of said body, to a remaining adjacent bushing, a protruding contact member electricall connectin with this connector andclamping it to said remainin bushing, and

a screw in said additional bu ing, clamping .said connector and the respective extension to said additional bushing. p

POWEL CROSLEY, JR. 

